Golf tee

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for supporting a ball. In one aspect, the apparatus is a golf tee that facilitates the control of one or more of a liftoff angle, spin and direction.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to a golfing apparatus and moreparticularly, to a tee to be used as a stand for a golf ball.

In the sport of golf, a player is allowed to place the ball on a tee forthe first shot on each of the eighteen holes. The purpose of the tee isto elevate the ball above the ground so the golfer can strike it withthe proper club and at the proper point in his swing. The standard golftee, in use today, is an inverted cone shape (monopode) with a smallcircular pad for the ball to rest on and slender peg on the other end toplace into the ground. These tees are approximately two to four incheslong and are made from wood, plastic or a biodegradable material.Numerous variations of the standard golf tee have been designed andpatented. These tees fall into five general categories with respect totheir benefits: 1. To reduce the friction between the tee and the golfball so the energy imparted from the golf club to ball is not wastedovercoming friction. This allows the ball to travel farther. 2. To setthe height or adjust the height of the tee to an exact distance abovethe ground so the golfer can achieve consistent results (ball distanceand placement accuracy) to match his swing and the club he is using. 3.To retain the tee so the golfer can reuse it. 4. To manufacture the teesout of a biodegradable material so they will break down into elementalcomponents that benefit the turf. Once the tee dissolves, they will notbe a nuisance to other golfers and ground keepers. 5. To reduce the costof manufacturing tees by introducing a new shape, material ormanufacturing process.

The modern game of golf traces its roots to Scotland in the year 1502.The first three of the thirteen original rules of golf (1744) pertain tothe use of a tee. They are 1. You must tee your ball within a club'slength of the hole. 2. Your tee must be on the ground. 3. You are not tochange the ball which you strike off the tee. In the 19th centuryseparate areas were created at St. Andrews from which a golfer would teethe ball. Sand, water and a towel were provided at each tee. The waterand towel provide a hint that the sand was not casually placed above theground but it was shaped by hand to provide the desired lift anddirection for the drive. A ramp to control loft and a groove to controldirection were easily shaped in wet sand. When finished, the golferwould clean his hands with the water, dry them off with the towel andthen drive the ball off of the shaped sand mound. The word “tee”referred to the area where sand was placed. It did not refer to the pileof sand.

From physics (ignoring the lift on the ball as a result of air flowingover the dimples and ball spin), the maximum distance the ball cantravel is determined by its initial velocity and its liftoff angle. Themaximum distance is obtained when the liftoff angle is 45 degrees. Theinitial velocity is controlled by the energy transferred from the clubto the ball (club head speed). With the standard tee in use today, theliftoff angle is controlled by the loft on the club and the relativeposition of the player to and the height of the ball on the tee. Bymoving closer to the ball, the club head hits the ball as the shaft isclose to perpendicular to the ground. The result is a drive that has ashallow liftoff angle (which is closer to the loft on the club) and aslower velocity because the player has less time to accelerate the club.As the player moves back and away from the ball, the club head strikesthe ball at a higher point along the arc of the swing and with a fastermoving club head. The result is a greater liftoff angle, a higherinitial velocity and a longer drive.

It is desirable to develop a golf tee that, like the wet sand, controlsthe liftoff angle and the direction of travel for the ball. Such a teewill allow the golfer to set the liftoff angle while teeing the ball upand allow him to concentrate on accurately striking the ball with theproper velocity. By guiding the ball as it leaves the tee andpre-selecting the liftoff angle, the golfer will have a betteropportunity to drive the ball to its desired location. The tee should besimple in design, inexpensive to manufacture and easy to use.

The present invention satisfies these and other needs.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly and in general terms, the present invention is directed towardan apparatus for receiving a projectile. In one aspect, the apparatus isa tee configured to hold a stationary golf ball. In a further aspect,the apparatus is designed to control one or more of a liftoff angle anddirection of travel of the ball.

In one contemplated embodiment, the apparatus of the present inventionis in the form of a golf tee. The tee includes three sections that, fromthe top, resemble a “U” which sit upon a single peg to push into theground. The circular part of the “U” is where the ball rests when it issitting on the tee. The two legs of the “U” form a ramp that is set upat an angle from the ground. Both sides of the ramp can intersectdirectly with the circular part or small radii can bridge between thecircular portion of the tee and both sides of the ramp to act as atransition zone. The tee is placed in the ground, as usual, and the ramp(parallel legs) is aligned with the desired direction of travel for theball. The ball is placed on the tee and, when struck, leaves thecircular portion and travels through the transition zone and then climbsthe ramp. The result is a ball that is guided by the ramp rails to theproper liftoff angle and in the proper direction.

It is further contemplated that a tee of the present invention caninclude various configurations of pegs. That is, the peg that is pressedinto the ground can be any shape, including round, but a faceted peg ora diamond shaped peg will help prevent twisting the tee in the event ofan off center strike from the club.

Further, the present invention recognizes that the liftoff angleassociated with the tee can be adjusted in several ways. In oneapproach, a simple tee, with a fixed “U” shape and a fixed ramp angle,can be placed into the ground at a slight angle to minimize or maximizethe liftoff angle. In another embodiment, the peg can be pivoted fromthe peg by means of a clevis and a boss. The liftoff angle can beadjusted by pivoting the head on the peg to the desired angle andlocking the two in place with a screw. In yet another embodiment, anadjustable ramp angle can be obtained by providing an adjustment to thewidth of the legs of the “U”. When the legs are parallel, the ramp angleis shallow. When the legs are closer together, the ramp angle issteeper. In yet further embodiments, markings on the tee can tell thegolfer the liftoff angle or the correct setting for the distance hedesires.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will becomeapparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, theprinciples of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

While the novel features of the invention are set forth in the appendedclaims, the invention will be better understood along with otherfeatures from the following detailed description taken in conjunctionwith the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a rear isometric of a fixed-ramp, single-piece tee.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of a fixed-ramp, single-piece tee.

FIG. 3 is a section view through the center of a fixed-ramp,single-piece tee that shows the details of the ball contact surface onthe tee.

FIG. 4 is a front view of a fixed-ramp, single-piece tee.

FIG. 5 is a top view of a fixed-ramp, single-piece tee with wideninglegs on the ramp section.

FIG. 6 is a top view of a fixed-ramp, single-piece tee with parallellegs on the ramp section.

FIG. 7 is a top view of a fixed-ramp, single-piece tee with narrowinglegs on the ramp section.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the fixed-ramp, single-piece tee that shows thepath the ball travels after being struck by the club head.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the fixed-ramp, single-piece tee that showsthe path the ball travels after being struck by the club head.

FIG. 10 is a side view of the fixed-ramp, single-piece tee that showsthe path the ball travels after being struck by the club head.

FIG. 11 is a side view of the fixed-ramp, single-piece tee thatdemonstrates a shallow liftoff angle by angular placement of the peg inthe ground.

FIG. 12 is a front view of a three-piece tee with a fixed-ramp and anadjustable take off angle by pivoting the tee head at the peg.

FIG. 13 is a side view of a three-piece tee with a fixed-ramp and anadjustable take off angle by pivoting the tee head at the peg.

FIG. 14 is a side view of a two-piece, adjustable-ramp tee that hasachieves variable liftoff angle by adjusting the angle between the twolegs on the ramp.

FIG. 15 is a top view of a two-piece, adjustable-ramp tee that achievesa variable liftoff angle by adjusting the angle between the two legs onthe ramp. The legs are parallel in this view.

FIG. 16 is a top view of a two-piece, adjustable-ramp tee that achievesa variable liftoff angle by adjusting the angle between the two legs onthe ramp. The legs are narrowing in this view.

FIG. 17 is a front view of a two-piece, adjustable ramp tee showing thepath the ball travels after being struck by the club head when the legsare parallel.

FIG. 18 is a front view of a two-piece, adjustable-ramp tee showing thepath the ball travels after being struck by the club head when the legsare adjusted to a narrow angle.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As shown in the exemplary drawings and for purposes of illustration, theinvention is embodied in an apparatus designed as a stand for receivinga projectile. The stand can be in the form of a tee for a golf ball, thetee being configured to control the liftoff angle and direction oftravel of the golf ball.

Referring now to the figures and in particular to FIG. 1, there isillustrated an isometric view of a golf tee 10 in its simplest form, thefixed-ramp, single-piece tee. The top or upper portion of the teeincludes a curved section 11, attached to two legs 12 that form a ramp.In one aspect, the ramp has a length and the curved section can besemi-circular. Between the legs that form the ramp and the curvedsection, are two small radii 13 that form the transition zone. Thetransition zone radii are optional, but in a first approach it iscontemplated that they should not be larger than the spherical radius ofthe ball. In other contemplated approaches it is to be recognized thatthe transition-zone can alternatively assume a radii larger than aradius of a ball.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, the ball is intended to only makecontact with the uppermost edge of the tee. The center section isundercut to allow clearance for the ball. Cutout 14 and cutout 15 areoptional and only intended to save weight and material. At the other endor lower portion of the tee is a long peg 16. The peg can be up to fourinches long and it is tapered to a point 17 to aid insertion into theground. The peg, as illustrated, is triangular in cross section, but itcan easily be manufactured in any shape. Cross sectional shapes liketriangular, rectangular, diamond, etc. are preferred over circular toreduce rotational motion of the tee. This allows the ball to leave thetee traveling in the proper direction.

Referring to FIG. 2, there is illustrated a bottom view of thefixed-ramp, single-piece tee showing the peg 16 that is triangular incross section. The cutout 14 is also illustrated.

For purposes of illustration, a cross section is provided through thecenter of the fixed-ramp, single-piece tee (See FIG. 3). The relativeangle “A” between the semi-circular section and the ramp can be seen. Inthe simplest model, the ramp angle “A” is fixed at manufacture at anangle from zero and ninety degrees to achieve the desired liftoff angleor distance. The line that makes up the uppermost edge of the tee 18 isalso illustrated. The uppermost edge is the part of the tee that comesinto contact with the ball.

Turning now to FIG. 4, there is illustrated the front view of thefixed-ramp, single-piece tee that shows the exit plane of the ball. Theline that makes up the uppermost edge of the tee 18 can again be seen atthe ends of the two legs that form the ramp. Line contact is desirableto minimize friction, but a concave surface can be used to increase thecontact area with ball to increase friction and impart more spin on theball. In reality, any shaped surface (convex, radius, elliptical, etc,)can be used to contact the ball.

Three different variations for the two legs that make up the fixed rampfor the single-piece tee are depicted in FIG. 5, FIG. 6 and FIG. 7. Allthree configurations will achieve the same result in terms of guidingthe ball. When the ball is struck by the club head it travels up theramp with a combined rolling and sliding motion. The amount of slidingand the amount of rolling is dependent on the amount of spin imparted onthe ball by the club face, on the coefficient of friction between theball material and the tee material and on the contact area of the ballwith the tee. The dimensions “R”, “L”, and “W” will have a definiteaffect on the amount of spin transferred to the ball and the liftoffangle for the ball. In general, “R” can be any dimension as long as itis smaller than the radius of the ball; “L” can be any dimension withinreason and “W” can be any dimension as long as it does not exceed thewidth of the ball. As “R” and “W” increase, the ball is engaged on thetee at a wider distance and therefore at a smaller radius with respectto the direction of travel. Friction with the tee will impart more spinon the ball because the tee contacts the ball at a smaller radius. As“L” increases, the ball is in contact with the legs of the ramp for alonger duration. This will also impart a greater spin on the ballbecause the ball is in contact with the tee for a longer duration. As“R”, “L” and “W” decrease, the converse is true and less spin will beimparted from the tee to the ball. In FIG. 6, the ball travels up theramp on parallel legs. The liftoff angle with respect to thesemi-circular section will be the same as angle “A” illustrated in FIG.3. As shown in FIG. 5, as the ball travels up the ramp the legs getwider and engage the ball at smaller radius. This causes the ball todrop slightly as it climbs the ramp and it results in a shallowerliftoff angle than angle “A” as illustrated in FIG. 3. As the balltravels up the ramp the legs get narrower and engage the ball at largerradius (See FIG. 7). This causes the ball to rise slightly as it climbsthe ramp and it results in a steeper liftoff angle than angle “A” asillustrated in FIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 8 there is illustrated the top view of the fixed-ramp,single-piece tee with the relative position of the ball as it sits onthe tee 19 and the ball 20 as it leaves the tee. The peg is positionedvertically. FIG. 9 illustrates the front view of the fixed-ramp,single-piece tee with the relative position of the ball as it sits onthe tee 19 and the ball 20 as it leaves the tee. The peg is positionedvertically. FIG. 10 illustrates the side view of the fixed-ramp,single-piece tee with the relative position of the ball as it sits onthe tee 19 and the ball 20 as it leaves the tee. The peg is positionedvertically. For standard operation the peg is placed into the groundvertically with the legs of the ramp aligned with the desired directionof travel for the ball. The ball is placed on the semi-circular sectionwith the part of the ball that is facing the desired direction of travelresting on the ramp legs or the transition zone radii. Once the ball isstruck with the club, it travels up the ramp legs to give both theproper direction and liftoff angle.

With reference to FIG. 11, there is illustrated side view of thefixed-ramp, single-piece tee with the relative position of the ball asit sits on the tee 21 and the ball 22 as it leaves the tee. The peg ispositioned at a slight angle forward to minimize the liftoff angle.Lines can be engraved, embossed or printed on the side of the tee toshow the proper angle to place the peg into the ground to achieve adesired distance. The legs of the ramp are aligned with the desireddirection of travel for the ball. The ball is placed on thesemi-circular section with the part of the ball that is facing thedesired direction of travel resting on the ramp legs or the transitionzone radii. Once the ball is struck with the club, it travels up theramp legs to give both the proper direction and lift angle. With the pegin the ground at a slightly forward angle, the liftoff angle is tailoredto place the ball at the proper distance and location on the golfcourse. The fixed-ramp, single-piece tee can be economicallymanufactured using existing manufacturing methods from wood, plastic orany biodegradable material in use on standard tees. The wide areas onthe peg and around the sides allow plenty of space for advertising. Withease manufacturing from a variety of materials, low cost, ease ofplacement and simplicity of adjusting the liftoff angle the fixed-ramp,single-piece tee is clearly the preferred embodiment.

Turning to FIG. 12, there is illustrated the front view of a three-piecetee with a fixed ramp that achieves an adjustable take off angle bypivoting the tee at the peg. The elements that comprise the upper mostsection or head of the tee 23 remain the same as the fixed-ramp, singlepiece tee. Specifically, the top of the tee consists of a semi-circularsection 24, attached to two legs 25, that form a ramp. Between the legsthat form the ramp and the semi-circular section, are two small radii 26that form the transition zone. The transition zone radii are optional,but they should not be larger than the spherical radius of the ball. Theball is intended to only make contact with the uppermost edge of thetee. The center section is undercut to allow clearance for the ball. Allof the descriptions and discussions contained in the above paragraphsalso pertain to the upper section or head of the three-piece tee. At theother end of the tee and separate from the upper section is a long peg27. The peg can be up to four inches long and it is tapered to a point28 to aid insertion into the ground. The peg, as illustrated, isrectangular in cross section, but it can easily be manufactured in anyshape. Cross sectional shapes like triangular, rectangular, diamond,etc. are preferred over circular to reduce rotational motion of the tee.This allows the ball to leave the tee traveling in the proper direction.At the top of the peg is a clevis 29 which mates with a boss 30 at thebottom of the upper section or head. The two are attached by means of ascrew 31 or a thumbscrew. This allows the head to pivot with respect tothe peg.

The side view of a three-piece tee with a fixed ramp that achieves anadjustable take off angle by pivoting the upper section or head of thetee at the peg is shown in FIG. 13. The view of a tee head rotated tominimize the liftoff angle 32 is super imposed on the view of the teehead rotated to maximize the liftoff angle 33. In this embodiment thepeg is placed in the ground vertically and the liftoff angle is adjustedby tilting the head to achieve the desired distance and locking thescrew. Serrations between the clevis and the boss can be used toincrementally position the head with respect to the peg. The head canalso be held in place using a cam lock, thumbscrew, wedge lock, etc.With the three-piece tee, the liftoff angle is tailored by tilting thehead to place the ball at the proper distance and location on the golfcourse. The fixed-ramp, three-piece tee can be economically manufacturedusing existing manufacturing methods from wood, plastic or anybiodegradable material in use on standard tees. The wide areas on thepeg and around the sides allow plenty of space for advertising. Withease manufacturing from a variety of materials, low cost, ease ofplacement and simplicity of adjusting the liftoff angle the fixed-ramp,three-piece tee is the second embodiment.

Further, the side view of a two-piece, split tee with a variable rampthat achieves an adjustable take off angle by moving the legs of theramp closer together or farther apart is illustrated in FIG. 14. Theelements that comprise the upper most section of the tee remain the sameas the fixed-ramp, single piece tee. Specifically, the top of the teeconsists of a semi-circular section 34, attached to two legs 35, thatform a ramp. Between the legs that form the ramp and the semi-circularsection, are two small radii 36 that form the transition zone. Thetransition zone radii are optional, but they should not be larger thanthe spherical radius of the ball. The ball is intended to only makecontact with the uppermost edge of the tee. The center section isundercut to allow clearance for the ball. At the other end of the tee isa long peg 37. The peg can be up to four inches long and it is taperedto a point 38 to aid insertion into the ground. The peg, as illustrated,is rectangular in cross section, but it can easily be manufactured inany shape. Cross sectional shapes like triangular, rectangular, diamond,etc. are preferred over circular to reduce rotational motion of the tee.This allows the ball to leave the tee traveling in the proper direction.The adjustment screw 39 is shown.

Referring now to FIG. 15, there is illustrated the top view of atwo-piece, split tee with a variable ramp that achieves an adjustabletake off angle by moving the legs of the ramp closer together or fartherapart. FIG. 15 depicts the tee with the ramp legs adjusted parallel toeach other. Referring to FIG. 16 there is illustrated the top view of atwo-piece, split tee with a variable ramp that achieves an adjustabletake off angle by moving the legs of the ramp closer together or fartherapart. FIG. 15 depicts the tee with the ramp legs adjusted in anarrowing configuration to each other. Both views illustrate that thetwo legs that comprise the ramp are tied together only at the peg. Thisallows the legs to move closer together or farther apart with movementof the screw. This is the main difference between the two-piece, splittee and the one-piece, fixed ramp tee. Both configurations, as shown inFIG. 15 and FIG. 16, will achieve the same result in terms of guidingthe ball. When the ball is struck by the club head it travels up theramp with a combined rolling and sliding motion. The amount of slidingand the amount of rolling is dependent on the amount of spin imparted onthe ball by the club face, on the coefficient of friction between theball material and the tee material and on the contact area of the ballwith the tee. The dimensions “R1”, “L1”, and “W1” will have a definiteaffect on the amount of spin transferred to the ball and the liftoffangle for the ball. In general, “R1” can be any dimension as long as itis smaller than the radius of the ball; “L” can be any dimension withinreason and “W1” can be any dimension as long as it does not exceed thewidth of the ball. As “R1” and “W1” increase, the ball is engaged on thetee at a wider distance and therefore at a smaller radius with respectto the direction of travel. Friction with the tee will impart more spinon the ball because the tee contacts the ball at a smaller radius. As“L1” increases, the ball is in contact with the legs of the ramp for alonger duration. This will also impart a greater spin on the ballbecause the ball is in contact with the tee for a longer duration. As“R1”, “L1” and “W1” decrease, the converse is true and less spin will beimparted from the tee to the ball. In FIG. 16, as the ball travels upthe ramp the legs get narrower and engage the ball at larger radius.This causes the ball, as it climbs the ramp, to rise in a steeperliftoff angle than a ball hit off the tee as adjusted in FIG. 15. Ingeneral, the wider the legs are adjusted apart: the shallower theliftoff angle and the closer the legs are adjusted together: the steeperthe liftoff angle.

Turning to FIG. 17, the front view of a two-piece, split tee with avariable ramp that achieves an adjustable take off angle by moving thelegs of the ramp closer together or farther apart is shown. FIG. 17depicts the tee with the ramp legs adjusted parallel to each other.Referring to FIG. 18 there is illustrated the front view of a two-piece,split tee with a variable ramp that achieves an adjustable take offangle by moving the legs of the ramp closer together or farther apart.FIG. 18 depicts the tee with the ramp legs adjusted in a narrowingconfiguration to each other. Both views illustrate that the two legsthat comprise the ramp are tied together only at the peg. Whenmanufactured, the legs are molded, cast, machined, etc. to be as wide asdesired with the relief 40 at the base. The screw is used to bring thelegs closer together to achieve the desired liftoff angle. This viewalso demonstrates the difference in liftoff height, “H3” between the twoconfigurations. The ball 41, on the tee with the parallel legs, islifted to a height, “H1” as it leaves the tee. The ball 42, on the teewith the narrowing legs, is lifted to a greater height, “H2”, as itleaves the tee. The two-piece, split tee can be economicallymanufactured using existing manufacturing methods from wood, plastic orany suitable material in use on standard tees. The wide areas on the pegand around the sides allow plenty of space for advertising. With easemanufacturing from a variety of materials, low cost, ease of placementand simplicity of adjusting the liftoff angle, the fixed rampthree-piece tee is the third embodiment.

It is to be recognized that any of the various contemplated embodimentscan easily be adapted to work on a driving range mat using existingtechnology. Embodiments two and three may be easier to adapt.

Thus, it will be apparent from the foregoing that, while particularforms of the invention have been illustrated and described, variousmodifications can be made without parting from the spirit and scope ofthe invention.

1. A tee for receiving a golf ball, comprising: an upper portion, theupper portion including a ramp having a length; and a lower portion, thelower portion including a peg configured to be inserted into a groundsurface; wherein at least a portion of the length of the ramp provides asurface along which the ball travels.
 2. The tee of claim 1, wherein theupper portion further includes a curved section configured between thelegs.
 3. The tee of claim 2, wherein the curved section issemi-circular.
 4. The tee of claim 2, wherein the upper portion furtherincludes a transition zone between the legs and the curved section. 5.The tee of claim 4, wherein the transition zone has a radii smaller thana spherical radius of the ball.
 6. The tee of claim 4, wherein the upperportion further includes a center section which is under cut to allowclearance for the ball.
 7. The tee of claim 6, wherein the upper portionfurther includes a pair of spaced cutouts.
 8. The tee of claim 7,wherein the peg has a tapered point.
 9. The tee of claim 8, wherein thepeg has a triangular cross-section.
 10. The tee of claim 8, where in thepeg has one of a triangular, rectangular or a diagonal shape.
 11. Thetee of claim 1, wherein the ramp includes a pair of spaced legs with anupper surface providing a line contact with the ball.
 12. The tee ofclaim 1, wherein the ramp includes a concave surface for engaging theball traveling along the ramp.
 13. The tee of claim 1, wherein the upperportion includes a radius, a width and a length.
 14. The tee of claim13, wherein the radius being less than a radius of the ball.
 15. The teeof claim 13, wherein the width does not exceed a diameter of the ball.16. The tee of claim 13, wherein the width varies from a first dimensionto a second dimension.
 17. The tee of claim 13, wherein the width isadjustable.
 18. The tee of claim 1, wherein an angle between the upperportion and the lower portion is adjustable.
 19. The tee of claim 1,wherein one or more of a liftoff angle, spin and direction of the ballis controlled by the upper portion.
 20. The tee of claim 1, wherein thetee is a single piece golf tee.